Loweeel

lauratchi wrote:Best Buy has a 35 bottle Danby on sale this week for 169. I know, I know, it's prolly not big enough for most wine.wooters. And mine will be overflowing, but I figure its a good start to get "something" in place for those pricier bottles.

HitAnyKey42

So this Danby is a good recommendation for a relative newbie to wine for storage purposes? Currently the only place I have for putting wines are in the wooden handmade wine rack my dad has in the basement. Also, most of my wines are less than $20 a bottle, most currently are reds (though I do also like my whites...just happens that I got way more reds right now...with a lot ont he way).
I'll have a couple of good bottles (such as the Munch PS, once I have it in my hands sometime next year), but that's most likely it. I'm assuming most of my wines (at least currently) won't be something I would need to "age" for more than 2 years.
I just don't want to go spending MORE than I need to right now, especially since I'm house-hunting.

EDIT: Also, what is actually the difference between the Danby and 34 bottle Vinotemp which costs about double the price?

vaaccess

HitAnyKey42 wrote:So this Danby is a good recommendation for a relative newbie to wine for storage purposes? Currently the only place I have for putting wines are in the wooden handmade wine rack my dad has in the basement. Also, most of my wines are less than $20 a bottle, most currently are reds (though I do also like my whites...just happens that I got way more reds right now...with a lot ont he way).
I'll have a couple of good bottles (such as the Munch PS, once I have it in my hands sometime next year), but that's most likely it. I'm assuming most of my wines (at least currently) won't be something I would need to "age" for more than 2 years.
I just don't want to go spending MORE than I need to right now, especially since I'm house-hunting.

EDIT: Also, what is actually the difference between the Danby and 34 bottle Vinotemp which costs about double the price?

I would say it would be like comparing a Lexus versus a Ford/Chevy...The Vinotemp should be built better, should last longer, and should look better. *shrugs*

HitAnyKey42

vaaccess wrote:I would say it would be like comparing a Lexus versus a Ford/Chevy...The Vinotemp should be built better, should last longer, and should look better. *shrugs*

I had sorta at least figured that much myself. I was more interested in specific specification type stuffs, though. Not that I was even going to consider getting it anyway.

I may ask for a handful of my relatives to chip in together for them to get me that Danby one through, especially since it's only $149 at Costco.
If anyone has any nice suggestions on best usage for it (especially with regards to my current wine collection, which can be seen in my CellarTracker link below), please toss out whatever info or thoughts you have. I don't really know much about temperatures or any of that stuff, so if I do end up getting this one I'd like some input on what temperature to set it at and which of my bottles would best be suited to be on which shelves of it. Stuff like that.
Most of my wine, obviously isn't the expensive long-storage types, so I assume it isn't that important how I store them. But I'd like whatever input people can offer anyway.

HitAnyKey42

I think I'm now about 99% sure I'll be asking some of my relatives to chip in together to get me this one for Xmas. From what I've looked at so far, there doesn't seem any "good" reason for me to ask for one that's more expensive. As from what the description of it says and what you guys have said, it pretty much has all the controls and versatility I would need. Unless there are any other good suggestions or thoughts out there amongst the "experts".
(yes, I'm posting again after my last one to bump this up and beg for additional input )

Also what's the difference between the DWC310BL and the DWC350BLP, besides the fact one has platinum trim? I would think the 350 has something extra beyond the 310, to signify the model number change. But I can't figure out what the difference might be.

oppsie

HitAnyKey42 wrote:I think I'm now about 99% sure I'll be asking some of my relatives to chip in together to get me this one for Xmas. From what I've looked at so far, there doesn't seem any "good" reason for me to ask for one that's more expensive. As from what the description of it says and what you guys have said, it pretty much has all the controls and versatility I would need. Unless there are any other good suggestions or thoughts out there amongst the "experts".
(yes, I'm posting again after my last one to bump this up and beg for additional input )

Also what's the difference between the DWC310BL and the DWC350BLP, besides the fact one has platinum trim? I would think the 350 has something extra beyond the 310, to signify the model number change. But I can't figure out what the difference might be.

chefjef

I am looking to spend some xmas money on myself, to get a wine cooler. its about 68 degrees in my apartment right now, and in the summer that will climb to over 80. so i need something to keep the wines at a cellar temp range. after all my researching i've narrowed it down to two or three coolers, and need some help deciding.

The EdgeStar seems to be better quality, with doublepane glass and wine racks instead of flat racks etc, but the Danby does hold more wine for not too much more money. Then I've heard that Vinotemp is just a better brand.

Loweeel

I am looking to spend some xmas money on myself, to get a wine cooler. its about 68 degrees in my apartment right now, and in the summer that will climb to over 80. so i need something to keep the wines at a cellar temp range. after all my researching i've narrowed it down to two or three coolers, and need some help deciding.

The EdgeStar seems to be better quality, with doublepane glass and wine racks instead of flat racks etc, but the Danby does hold more wine for not too much more money. Then I've heard that Vinotemp is just a better brand.

Please advise, oh great wine.wooters!

Jeff

And if you scroll up a bit, the same (or comparable) Danby is available at Costco for $149. So, if there's one nearby and you're not a member, I'd find a friend to go with you

HitAnyKey42

Loweeel wrote:And if you scroll up a bit, the same (or comparable) Danby is available at Costco for $149. So, if there's one nearby and you're not a member, I'd find a friend to go with you

I know you've listed the Danby for 149, and that's the one I've been highly considering....but what are your opinions and thoughts about it? What about other comparable models and brands which might be a bit more expensive? What am I truly getting for the extra money, and is it really worthwhile to spend more?
I'm really going nuts looking at these things trying to decide both size and brand.

HitAnyKey42

Anyone have any opinions or thoughts on the Avanti WC501CL 52-bottle wine cooler? I just found one on craigslist near me (and the woman responded to my email already) for $150. It's apparently 5 years old and in good condition. Looking online a new one is about $400-470.

Loweeel

HitAnyKey42 wrote:Which model & size do ya got? What features or things about it do you like the most? A friend of mine has a Haier and I'm waiting for a call back from him to find out which one he has as well.

I don't have the info on hand, but it's the 35-bottle model with the tinted window, and I really like the digital thermometer. That avanti sounds like a great deal, but I'm a little wary of it being 5 rather than 2 or 3.

chefjef

Loweeel wrote:And if you scroll up a bit, the same (or comparable) Danby is available at Costco for $149. So, if there's one nearby and you're not a member, I'd find a friend to go with you

just called Costco here, and they say that the silver front version is Online Only, and the black front model is Deleted From The System which means they don't carry it anymore. grrr. there goes my $50 discount.

Loweeel

chefjef wrote:just called Costco here, and they say that the silver front version is Online Only, and the black front model is Deleted From The System which means they don't carry it anymore. grrr. there goes my $50 discount.

HitAnyKey42

Loweeel wrote:I don't have the info on hand, but it's the 35-bottle model with the tinted window, and I really like the digital thermometer. That avanti sounds like a great deal, but I'm a little wary of it being 5 rather than 2 or 3.

Is it possibly the Haier HVZ035ABS 35-bottle Dual Zone which looks like it holds twice as many whites as reds? Looks like it goes for about $330 or so.

EDIT: Just read more into it, and seems you can set which section to be for which type of wine so could have red on bottom/white on top, white on bottom/red on top, or all red or all white. Still might be a bit pricey for my initial needs as a newcomer to all this wine stuff. [/EDIT]

And yeah, I'm a little concerned about the 5 yrs old on the Avanti too. Might see if I can get some more details from her to judge it's condition. Just need to figure out what to ask her before I actually go look at it. It's in nearly the same town as me.

joelsisk

we have a 120-bottle Franklin Chef we got from Compact Appliance. They often have 10+% off and/or free shipping (which is key on a full size refrigerator). Right now it looks like it's on sale for $899. Yes, I realize this is much more expensive than all previously discussed <$200 models, just throwing it out there, as when we purchased, it was well worth getting one bigger one than 3 smaller, and was cheaper (at the time) to boot. Of course, due to wine.woot and my addictive personality we struggle to find space to put bottles...

HitAnyKey42

joelsisk wrote:we have a 120-bottle Franklin Chef we got from Compact Appliance. They often have 10+% off and/or free shipping (which is key on a full size refrigerator). Right now it looks like it's on sale for $899. Yes, I realize this is much more expensive than all previously discussed <$200 models, just throwing it out there, as when we purchased, it was well worth getting one bigger one than 3 smaller, and was cheaper (at the time) to boot. Of course, due to wine.woot and my addictive personality we struggle to find space to put bottles...

Thanks for the tips on things to consider. As for that EdgeStar, I'm guessing it's more expensive (per bottle) due to it being Thermoelectric? Now if I recall, the benefit of thermoelectric is that it's quieter and has a more stable temperature. But the downfall is that they're less efficient and cost more to operate, correct? If so, at this point in time I think I'll stick to compressor since I need something a bit more efficient (both because I'd be using my parents electricity for now, and increased electricity bills will put a hurt on me when I buy a house).

Loweeel

HitAnyKey42 wrote:Thanks for the tips on things to consider. As for that EdgeStar, I'm guessing it's more expensive (per bottle) due to it being Thermoelectric? Now if I recall, the benefit of thermoelectric is that it's quieter and has a more stable temperature. But the downfall is that they're less efficient and cost more to operate, correct? If so, at this point in time I think I'll stick to compressor since I need something a bit more efficient (both because I'd be using my parents electricity for now, and increased electricity bills will put a hurt on me when I buy a house).

You want a thermoelectric because it doesn't rattle the bottles like a compressor does. It makes a difference to the wines.

HitAnyKey42

Loweeel wrote:You want a thermoelectric because it doesn't rattle the bottles like a compressor does. It makes a difference to the wines.

Yet the one you have is a compressor....so it can't be that huge a deal. ;)

I'll probably have to go compressor though as the thermoelectric will be just too expensive to get enough bottle storage. Maybe in a couple years I'll get one of those, when I can actually afford it. I'll be lucky if I can afford any cooler right now, let alone a nice fancy one.

michelleshari

HitAnyKey42 wrote:Yet the one you have is a compressor....so it can't be that huge a deal. ;)

I'll probably have to go compressor though as the thermoelectric will be just too expensive to get enough bottle storage. Maybe in a couple years I'll get one of those, when I can actually afford it. I'll be lucky if I can afford any cooler right now, let alone a nice fancy one.

If the goal is low price and high storage and you're not too particular about the looks... couldn't you get a normal fridge (that has temperature control obviously) and just stick wine in there?

Loweeel

HitAnyKey42 wrote:Yet the one you have is a compressor....so it can't be that huge a deal. ;)

I'll probably have to go compressor though as the thermoelectric will be just too expensive to get enough bottle storage. Maybe in a couple years I'll get one of those, when I can actually afford it. I'll be lucky if I can afford any cooler right now, let alone a nice fancy one.

smartheart

michelleshari wrote:If the goal is low price and high storage and you're not too particular about the looks... couldn't you get a normal fridge (that has temperature control obviously) and just stick wine in there?

I've wondered about this myself. I realize a regular refrigerator would have a condenser and thus be subject to more vibration than an apparently by-necessity-smaller thermoelectric unit, but maybe the fact that for wine the temp would be set in the 50's would make for less on-off cycling (and thus less vibration??) than for a refrigerator typically set for much cooler.

A regular refrig would have some advantages over a thermoelectric cooler: darkness, storage capacity, purchase price, and operating costs.

What do you folks who have had thermoelectric wine cooling units think of the idea of a dedicated wine refirgerator instead? I've got to go one direction or another before too much longer(and certainly before summer).

"Three be the things I shall never attain: Envy, content, and sufficient champagne."
--D. Parker

cole103

smartheart wrote:I've wondered about this myself. I realize a regular refrigerator would have a condenser and thus be subject to more vibration than an apparently by-necessity-smaller thermoelectric unit, but maybe the fact that for wine the temp would be set in the 50's would make for less on-off cycling (and thus less vibration??) than for a refrigerator typically set for much cooler.

A regular refrig would have some advantages over a thermoelectric cooler: darkness, storage capacity, purchase price, and operating costs.

What do you folks who have had thermoelectric wine cooling units think of the idea of a dedicated wine refirgerator instead? I've got to go one direction or another before too much longer(and certainly before summer).

On pg 1 of this thread is a discussion of this topic and instructions on converting an old freezer into a dedicated wine cooler.

cole103

vaaccess wrote:Ok...I did some Googleing...It looks like my assumptions and thoughts were wrong...Found this referred to on a couple of sites:

http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/showthread.php?t=31446&page=2
As to studies, a Dr. Vernon L. Singleton Professor of Enology, Emeritus from the University of California at Davis is described by Matt Kramer in his book "Making Sense of Wine" as having specialized in the effects of vibration on wine. Dr. Singleton is quoted as follows: "The only bad feature about vibration is possibly in dispersing sediments. You may, if you disperse them hard enough and often enough, find that it produces such fine particles that it fails to settle. So it may affect clarity, which in turn, can affect flavor. But barring that, I can say that vibration doesn't make a difference. If you can look at a bottle of wine and it's still clear, then it wasn't vibrated enough to make a difference." This is why we stand a bottle of old wine up on end for a few days before drinking it... a tradition I go along with because it makes sense.

When my electrostatic dies or I need a larger cellar, I'll go with one that has a compressor/temp setup that allows for minimal temperature fluctuation and decent vibration dampening.

cole103

andyduncan wrote:So here's what I did: I live in California, and my house frequently gets over 80 degrees in the summer. That can ruin a bottle pretty damn quick. How quick? I don't know, but I've seen visible heat damage on bottles in less than a month.

Now I am not a wealthy man, but more importantly, I am not a classy individual. If they made a wine fridge that looked like a giant beer koozie, that's the one I would buy (especially if it said "World's Number One Master Baiter" on it). So a stainless steel wine fridge with a glass door and wood shelves really doesn't turn me on. Especially not for a couple hundred bucks. But I'd certainly get one rather than ruin $500 worth of wine (not a hard number to hit with wine.woot.com being available)

What I ended up doing was converting an old freezer I had into a ghetto wine fridge. Cost me about $60 total as I already had the freezer. It's a small standup-style freezer, I don't know how many cubic feet. It's bigger than a mini fridge, but smaller than a regular one. Fits about 40 bottles. I was surprised: the freezer had been used for a couple years but it had no off-smells or mildew stains. I scrubbed it out and let it sit open in the sun for a day or so just to make sure. Good as new.

Temperature: I got a kill-switch thermostat off of kegworks.com for about $50 (people use them for making kegerators out of their freezers, so it immediately fits my "don't be classy" mantra) basically it's a power switch hooked up to a thermostat. You set the freezer as cold as it will go and then stick a probe into the freezer and it turns power on and off to the freezer to maintain a set temperature. Like I mentioned before, it maintains about ±2-4 degrees for the air around the bottles (Which I figure means that the wine in the bottles is pretty much constant). It cycles on for just a couple minutes each half-hour or so. The fact that it was a freezer probably helps maintain a constant temp as it may have more insulation than something meant to be just a fridge. The walls certainly are thicker than most small fridges, and the compressor has absolutely no problem maintaining a 55 degree temp, even when the room it was in was over 90.

Light: It's a freezer. Completely dark. Even better than most wine fridges.

Vibration: Ok, so this is it's weak area. It's a freezer. You don't care if your steaks vibrate, so it's not designed to be low-vibration. That said, the compressor doesn't run very much and it actually doesn't vibrate that bad. For me, it's a tradeoff between vibration and having the wine get hot. I'll take vibration any day.

Humidity: don't know if this is a problem yet, I don't think it is. We have relatively mild humidity where I live. It isn't a frost-free freezer, so it's probably just fine. There is some condensation on the coils, which probably means that after I open the door and then close it again, the humidity inside is slightly higher than the humidity outside. I haven't gotten my hygrometer yet though, so we'll see, but i'm not worried.

How does it work? I'll let you know in 3-5 years :-) But I figure I've got temperature taken care of, with probably minimal fluctuation, no light, a little vibration and probably decent humidity. Is that as good as digging a cave under my house or building a full-room wine storage facility? Probably not. but it's damn close, and it's a heck of a lot better than storing it in my closet.

So basically, I'd recommend getting a wine fridge or going my route if you're keeping the bottles for even a relatively sort period of time. Especially if your house gets warm like mine does.

*whew* So these were three long posts. Sorry for the verbosity, hopefully this will be useful to people.

HitAnyKey42

Well I've pretty much decided to at least wait until after Xmas to see if there are any clearance deals. But I've also been thinking more and more that maybe I don't need a mechanical wine cooler at this point in time, as the expense for it is just too much. I'll have to try to track the temp/humidity of my parents basement, but I think it's probably doable enough for the "short term". Especially since I doubt I'll be buying anything more expensive than the Munch PS (which was $37/bottle including shipping) anytime in the near future. I may have a good amount of wines in stock, but none it it will probably be getting stored for more than a couple years. I just can't justify the expense while I'm looking for a house to buy for myself...and buying a house as a single guy on Long Island is a VERY expensive task.

Though if anyone finds any really great deals on new coolers or knows of anyone on or around the LI area that wants to sell theirs for a good price to a fellow Wooter, please let me know. I would definitely need one that holds more than 35 bottles, and it'd have to be CHEAP. (yeah, that combination is probably a contradiction which is why it'd be a miracle to find something suitable)

polarbear22

HitAnyKey42 wrote:Well I've pretty much decided to at least wait until after Xmas to see if there are any clearance deals. But I've also been thinking more and more that maybe I don't need a mechanical wine cooler at this point in time, as the expense for it is just too much. I'll have to try to track the temp/humidity of my parents basement, but I think it's probably doable enough for the "short term". Especially since I doubt I'll be buying anything more expensive than the Munch PS (which was $37/bottle including shipping) anytime in the near future. I may have a good amount of wines in stock, but none it it will probably be getting stored for more than a couple years. I just can't justify the expense while I'm looking for a house to buy for myself...and buying a house as a single guy on Long Island is a VERY expensive task.

Though if anyone finds any really great deals on new coolers or knows of anyone on or around the LI area that wants to sell theirs for a good price to a fellow Wooter, please let me know. I would definitely need one that holds more than 35 bottles, and it'd have to be CHEAP. (yeah, that combination is probably a contradiction which is why it'd be a miracle to find something suitable)

Ask at your local package stores as well. I had the manager at my local place ask me if I was interested in one that another customer was selling. You want to find someone trading up to something bigger.

polarbear22

HitAnyKey42 wrote:Well I've pretty much decided to at least wait until after Xmas to see if there are any clearance deals. But I've also been thinking more and more that maybe I don't need a mechanical wine cooler at this point in time, as the expense for it is just too much. I'll have to try to track the temp/humidity of my parents basement, but I think it's probably doable enough for the "short term". Especially since I doubt I'll be buying anything more expensive than the Munch PS (which was $37/bottle including shipping) anytime in the near future. I may have a good amount of wines in stock, but none it it will probably be getting stored for more than a couple years. I just can't justify the expense while I'm looking for a house to buy for myself...and buying a house as a single guy on Long Island is a VERY expensive task.

Though if anyone finds any really great deals on new coolers or knows of anyone on or around the LI area that wants to sell theirs for a good price to a fellow Wooter, please let me know. I would definitely need one that holds more than 35 bottles, and it'd have to be CHEAP. (yeah, that combination is probably a contradiction which is why it'd be a miracle to find something suitable)

HitAnyKey42

polarbear22 wrote:Ask at your local package stores as well. I had the manager at my local place ask me if I was interested in one that another customer was selling. You want to find someone trading up to something bigger.

polarbear22

Sorry. I get crap often in CT for calling them liquor stores. That was the name I grew up with in MN. I thought is was a Northeast thing, but maybe just CT. "Got to go to the packy and get a six-pack."

HitAnyKey42

pagreen wrote:A little off topic, but if anyone is looking for a cheap wine cellar/cooler to stuff their Cabernet in (not to mention their Pinot), Overstock just cut the price of their Urbina 28-bottle Thermoelectric to $109 with free shipping--about a $25 drop since last week. I guess they may be trying to dump their inventory.

grate88 wrote:I have that exact Urbina model being discussed. Purchased over a year ago at Bevmo for about 150. It is working fine now but did have a few kinks at the start.

It stopped working after a week and then started when I turned the interior light on. Somehow the wiring is connected or crossed etc.

I've left the light on since and it has worked okay except for a few weeks late rwhen the computer fan became unbalanced and sounded like a plane landing in my family room. Had to take it apart and tighten all the screws on the fan.

The last year or so has been fine though - after I thought it was toast a few times early on.

That said - I'm in for one on this wine offering - look forward to sampling.

I really was trying to hold out for a wine cellar that held something more like 40-50 bottles, but this deal is almost looking too good to pass up. I was planning on getting a non-thermoelectric one (which would hold more bottles for less money) but haven't found a great deal yet and don't want to spend more than $250. I am almost considering ordering two of these.

Anyone have any additional thoughts about it in particular or the whole idea of the thermoelectric over compressor, especially considering the fact I sorta wanted something that held more bottles. After all, I've currently got over 80 bottles still sitting in their shipping boxes in my basement.

And did anyone spend the extra 9.99 for the 2-year protection plan? I'm assuming on something like this, it's worth it.

grate88 (or anyone else), does this have a dial temp control or a digital temp control? Is there a digital temp readout?

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